1 May 2017 Colorado Potato Beetle.

[Durgan]

http://durgan.org/2017/May%202017/1%20May%202017%20Colorado%20Potato%20Beetle/HTML/ 1 May 2017 Colorado Potato Beetle
Found one Colorado Potato Beetle when moving a board in the garden. The adults overwinter in the soil, emerge and lay eggs on mostly potatoes but have several hosts. This one adult can lay several hundred eggs and must be suppressed or a potato field is quickly devastated, literally in a few days. I grow less than 100 plants and over the season pick by hand around 2000 eggs and larvae when found on the vegetation. This year I am planting my potatoes late assuming the beetle will have looked elsewhere for a host by the time I plant. Every commercial potato field is heavily sprayed to survive.

 

[Durgan]

This was the first encounter in 2016

http://durgan.org/2016/June%202016/7%20June%202016%20Colorado%20potato%20beetle,%20Leptinotarsa%20decemlineata/HTML/ 7 June 2016 Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata)
The Colorado Potato Beetle surfaced in my garden today. Three adults were found and numerous larvae and eggs. Control is by picking and destroying all, usually several times a day. A large infestation requires the application of chemicals. The beetle cannot be ignored, since they multiply rapidly and can destroy a potato crop in a few days. The bug is ubiquitous and few gardens are without them in Canada.

 

[Durgan]

http://durgan.org/2017/June%202017/9%20June%202017%20Colorato%20Potato%20Beetle%20Eggs./HTML/ 9 June 2017 Colorato Potato Beetle Eggs.
The last several days six adult Colorado Potato Beetles were removed from the potatoes. Today looking under the lower leaves of the plants several clusters of eggs were found and removed. Every egg would develop into a voracious larvae if allowed to mature. An adult female can lay as many as 500 eggs during the season. They are removed by picking in a small patch of potatoes, but a large field must be heavily sprayed or complete destruction of the crop occurs.

 

[Durgan]

ttp://durgan.org/2017/June%202017/13%20June%202017%20Colorado%20Potato%20Beetle%20Larvae/HTML/ 13 June 2017 Colorado Potato Beetle Larvae
Today about 25 larvae were removed from potatoes. All the eggs found were removed apparently some were left. I tour the potato patch several times a day and remove all the larvae for about three weeks. I resist using pesticides. The Colorado Potato Beetle is truly the bane of most potato growers.

 

[Durgan]

http://durgan.org/2017/June 2017/13 June 2017 Colorado Potato Beetle Larvae/HTML/ 13 June 2017 Colorado Potato Beetle Larvae